The EU (European Union) intends to reduce the use of antibiotics for food producing animals. However, the draft for a new regulation for veterinary medicinal products turns this aim into its opposite, as it unnecessarily bureaucratizes naturopathic alternatives and severely restricts their application.

The draft

- endangers the preservation of therapeutic diversity of traditional methods in veterinary naturopathy- restricts the possible use of alternatives to antibiotics- implies massive restrictions on the possible application for animal owners and animal health practitioners- would equate a de facto occupational ban for holistic animal health practitioners- negates the concept of sustainability as well as the claim to animal welfare and environmental protection

Should animals in future only be entitled to medicinal products that have been explicitly licensed as veterinary medicinal products? Should the bandwidth of natural therapies be narrowed down and the prices pushed up?

We demand:No!

In effect, this would make the use of currently available naturopathic drugs and remedies for health maintenance and care such as herbs impossible. As a result of the regulation, a whole range of medicines of plant origin as well as homeopathic drugs which to day can be safely applied to both humans and animals might disappear from the market or become available on veterinary prescription only.

Organic farmers, animal owners and holistic animal health practitioners lose important natural therapy options for animals. Naturopathic drugs and remedies have barely any undesirable side effects and generally don’t cause any residues either in milk, eggs, meat or in animal excretions.

Use your vote to ensure that the responsible German representation in the EU will not agree to the draft regulation for veterinary medicinal products (2014) COM 558, and that homeopathic and natural remedies for animals may continue to be employed.